M. Kathleen Behrens, PhD

M. Kathleen Behrens, Ph.D. has served as a member of our Board since March 2009 and as Chairwoman of the Board since April 2015. She also serves as a member of our research and development committee and as a member of and chair of our audit committee.

Dr. Behrens served as a member of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) from 2001 to early 2009 and as Chairwoman of PCAST’s Subcommittee on Personalized Medicine. She has served as a public-market biotechnology securities analyst as well as a venture capitalist focusing on healthcare, technology and related investments. Dr. Behrens was instrumental in the founding of several biotechnology companies, including Protein Design Labs, Inc. and COR Therapeutics, Inc. She worked for Robertson Stephens & Co. from 1983 through 1996, serving as a General Partner and Managing Director. Dr. Behrens continued in her capacity as a General Partner for selected venture funds for RS Investments, an investment management and research firm, from 1996 through December 2009, after management led a buyout of that firm from Bank of America. While Dr. Behrens worked at RS Investments, from 1996 to 2002, she served as a Managing Director at the firm and, from 2003 to December 2009, she served as a consultant to the firm. From 1997 to 2005, she was a director of the Board on Science, Technology and Economic Policy for the National Research Council, and from 1993 to 2000 she was a Director, President and Chairwoman of the National Venture Capital Association. Since December 2009, Dr. Behrens has worked as an independent life sciences consultant and investor. Since January 2019, Dr. Behrens has served as a member of the board of directors of IGM Biosciences, Inc., a publicly-traded biotechnology company that is developing IgM antibodies for oncology and autoimmune indications, as well as the Chair of the audit committee. She also serves as a member of the compensation committee and corporate governance and nominating committee of IGM. Since May 2019, Dr. Behrens has served as a member of the board of directors and Chairperson of MiMedx Group Inc., a publicly-traded biopharmaceutical company developing, manufacturing and marketing regenerative biologics utilizing human placental allografts. She also participates as a member of the nominating and corporate governance committee and audit committee of MiMedx.

Dr. Behrens holds a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Biology and a Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of California, Davis.